Spellbound
by DracosVessel
Summary: After their relationship takes a terrible turn, Astoria puts a powerful spell over Draco in a desperate attempt to keep him forever. Three part short story.
1. Part 1 of 3: The Execution

**Part 1 of 3: The Execution**

Thunder crashed loudly as Draco Malfoy stepped quietly through the darkened streets of London, headed toward his flat where he lived with his fiancée, Astoria Greengrass. The office had closed an hour early and Draco was on his way home to surprise her. The umbrella, existing as his only form of shelter, shielded him from the heavy rain. There was a strange echoing from each drop pounding just above his head. The dismal weather was emotionally exhausting and he was relieved to finally make it to the front door of his flat. Draco closed the umbrella and leaned it against the wall near the door.

Before Draco got the chance to remove his coat, an unusual sound captured his attention, forcing his feet further. As he neared the bedroom, the unidentified noises became painfully more recognizable. The bedroom door creaked slightly as Draco inched it open to peer inside, but the occupants of the room did not seem to notice. They were far too focused on their vigorous activity. Draco felt his stomach turn violently at the sight of the betrayal. As his head began to spin, he leaned against the door for support, causing it to open further. Unfortunately, the motion caused a louder creaking from the door. That time the sound did not go unnoticed. Stormy grey eyes locked momentarily with the chocolate brown ones before Draco slowly backed away from the room. He was desperate to escape before the shock wore away and the anger set in.

"Draco, wait!" Astoria's voice called as he stumbled back toward the front door. She rushed out of the bed, wrapping the bed sheet around her naked body, and followed her fiancé to the front door. She reached out and gripped his arm. "Draco! Baby, please, wait!"

"Don't!" Draco shouted, wheeling around to face her aggressively and yanking his arm away from her. The expression on his face displayed all of the tortured emotions he was feeling. "Don't even start with that 'baby' stuff with me right now!"

"Draco, please, try to understand!"

"Understand!? Understand what!? Why you would cheat on me!? I don't want to understand! I just want to get away from you!"

"Draco, can't we just t–"

"I'm going to sleep at my office tonight – don't follow me – and I'll have Blaise come by tomorrow to get all of my stuff." Draco took one last disgusted look at Astoria and exited the flat. He returned back out into the heavy rain, not even bothering to take the umbrella with him.

Astoria stood frozen, staring at the closed door. Suddenly the entire rest of the world disappeared and she was left with a deep pit in her stomach. The realization of what she had done and what it had cost her hit her harder than a Stunning Spell. She stormed back into the bedroom, viciously kicked out her guest, and began recklessly rummaging through all of the books that Draco had set up on his many shelves.

_No, no, no, I can't let this happen,_ Astoria thought, _there has to be a way to get him back!_

Her hands were frantic as she flipped through the pages, desperate for any information that would be useful. The contemplated the idea of using a powerful memory charm on Draco, but the idea was quickly tossed away as she continued flipping through pages.

_What about a Love Potion, _Astoria wondered, skimming over the information.

"'_A Love Potion causes the drinker to become infatuated or obsessed with the one who gave them the potion,'_" she read out loud. "_True love cannot be produced through artificial means. There is an antidote to counteract the effect of Love Potions, however, the effects will wear off on their own after time. Ingredients include Ashwinder eggs, rose thorns, peppermint, and Moonstone powder.'_"

Astoria frowned at the text. "This won't do. By the time I can collect the ingredients and brew the bloody potion, Draco could be gone. Besides, I can't risk it wearing off or having someone slip him the antidote. There has to be another way."

Astoria desperately flipped from page to page, from one book to another. The more she read, the more desperate she became. Her sanity was slowly slipping away and each plan she came up with was increasingly irrational. The official plan was chosen after four long hours of searching. She slipped on her dark purple, silk nightie, her black heels, and the diamond heart necklace that Draco gave her for their first anniversary. She smiled at her reflection, knowing that the dark purple was Draco's favourite. She wondered for a short moment if she was going a little over the top, but shook away the thought quickly, pulled her coat over herself, and left.

The empty corridors filled with the echoing of clicking heels. Determination drove her past each office door until she came to the desired door that had her husband-to-be's name printed across it. The cold doorknob had never felt so difficult to turn or the door so heavy to push open as her heart raced. This was her last chance to change her mind. There were no sounds coming from inside the office, nor any light shining. She ignored the feeling gnawing at her that this was a bad idea and slipped into the room. Draco was lying on the small sofa against the side wall of his office, tucked underneath his coat for warmth, asleep. Astoria walked over and stroked the side of his face, willing him to wake up.

"Draco?" she whispered, smiling as he unconsciously turned his face toward her hand. He shifted toward her and his eyes fluttered open. He blinked rapidly at her, waiting for his eyes to adjust so that he could figure out who he was looking at. "Hi, baby."

His face contorted into an expression of disgusted anger. He sat up and leaned back away from her, shoving her hand away from his face. "Astoria? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I came here to fix everything."

"You can't fix this!" Draco growled, tossing his coat off himself. The blond stood up and made his way to the door, holding it open for her. "You need to leave. Now."

Astoria pulls her wand out of her coat and sets it on the desk. Her dark brown eyes burned into grey ones as she slowly unbuttoned her coat and let it fall from her shoulders. Draco's expression faltered for only a moment as he glanced over her outfit, but he refused to let it get to him. He wasn't going to allow her to seduce him into thinking everything was alright.

"I can't believe you thought that this was going to fix anything," he sighed, shaking his head at her. He turned to leave his own office.

"Actually, this wasn't exactly the whole plan," she called after him. He froze in the doorway, but didn't turn back to look at her, so he did not see her pick up her wand and point it at him.

"Oh, really? Than what master plan did you think was going to erase what you did?"

"_Visdiligo Evinxi_," she muttered the spell, staring at the pale blond hair that she was so in love with. Draco's entire body seemed to shudder as a pale, pink light wrapped itself in a spiral around him.

"Draco?" Astoria whispered. "Are you alright?"

Draco turned around and a smile broke across his face when he saw her. Then his eyes widened at the sight of what she was wearing, as if he had forgotten that he'd only just seen it a moment ago. The office echoed with the sound of the door slammed shutting and Astoria's yelp of surprise as Draco closed the distance between them and lifted her up in his arms.

"Where have you been? I missed you," Draco mewled, gripping at her waist and kissing fervently at her face and neck. She giggled happily as he dropped her onto the sofa and clambered on top of her. The two of them shifted, trying to make themselves comfortable, pulling at each other's clothes in the process. For a moment, Astoria felt guilty for what she had done, but the feeling was replaced by pure joy as he held her close and kissed her all over. It may not be right or honest, but she had to have him no matter what it took.

"I love you, Draco."


	2. Part 2 of 3: The Influence

**Part 2 of 3: The Influence**

Astoria clutched tightly to Draco as he kissed over her amorously. His overly playful behavior was out of character, but she wouldn't exchange it for the ferocious anger he exuded the night before. All night long she stayed awake, holding him close as he slept, mulling over what she had done. Guilt was gnawing at her and causing a tight aching in the pit of her stomach. She knew that Draco would be livid if he knew that she had cast such a terrible spell on him. He hated being manipulated by magic, especially _dark_ magic. However, the guilt faded the moment he woke up and smiled at her.

Draco was perfectly content and oblivious to the entire situation at hand. He woke up that morning thinking that everything was normal, having no recollection or understanding of what had happened the previous night. There was no memory of walking in on his fiancée with another man and no memory of contacting his best friend to come over for his things. So when the door opened and Blaise Zabini walked into the room, he couldn't have been more confused.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked, seemingly dumbfounded.

"W-what are you talking about?" Blaise retorted, suddenly equally as confused. "You told me last night that you wanted me to come over here and pick up your things."

"My things? Why would I do that?"

Astoria felt her stomach lurch with an overwhelming panic. She should have foreseen such an event taking place, but she had been too relieved to think of it. The blood rushed through her veins as she thought quickly. "Draco, honey, would you go make us some tea. I'll handle this."

Draco's confused expression vanished and he smiled at her. "Sure. I'll be right back."

Blaise watched his best friend glide out of the room cheerfully – too cheerfully. He wheeled back around at Astoria viciously. "What did you do to him!?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Astoria lied. "I haven't done anything."

"Bullshit! He told me what you did! He told me he wanted nothing to do with you and that he was moving out! Now suddenly he's falling over and making you tea!? You can't possibly think I'm that idiotic! I've known him far longer than you."

"You simply don't understand the relationship that we have. Draco loves me. And I love him. It isn't so simple to tear us apart."

Blaise stared at her for a long moment, infuriated at the idea that she had done something to his best friend. What that something was he had no yet figured out. He scanned around the room. Draco's and Astoria's clothes were scattered across the bedroom floor. There were books tossed all around the room. One book in particular stood out from the rest – it was the only book that didn't look messed up and it was the only book that had Astoria's wand placed upon it.

Astoria, having been tangled in her bed sheets, couldn't get up and to the desk fast enough. Blaise had already picked up the book she had foolishly left open on the desk and skimmed over the page. She tumbled across the room and snatched the book from his hands. Instead of fighting for the book, as she had expected him to do, he crossed his arms over his chest and raised a pointed brow. Astoria waited, expecting the worst, but Blaise simply smirked a devilish smirk at her.

"You know what, this is probably none of my business, right?" he finally stated. "This is about your relationship with Draco, so it only concerns the two of you. So, I guess I'm just going to get out of your way."

Astoria was too stunned to question him as he turned on his heel and strode out of the room. In the distance, she heard him say goodbye to his friend and leave the flat. She listened intently, waiting to see if he would suddenly return and try to take Draco or do something drastic. However, all she heard was the clinking of teacups in the kitchen. Sighing in relief, she made her way to the kitchen. Draco was standing at the counter, pouring the hot water into the cups. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, earning a gasp of surprise and a small laugh. The man turned around in her arms to smile down at her.

"So what was all that about?" Draco asked, gesturing toward the door of which Blaise had disappeared through.

"Oh, nothing, baby," Astoria whispered, her voice shaking. "It was just a misunderstanding. He must have dreamt that you asked him to come over here."

"Yeah, must have. Though is does sound vaguely familiar."

"No, no. I'm sure that's just him getting inside your head. Come on, why don't we go back to bed. I'll call work and tell them you won't be in today."

"Whatever you want," he said sweetly, tugging painfully at her heartstrings. He left the tea sitting on the counter and sauntered back to the bedroom.

Astoria stood in the kitchen, staring at the half-filled teacups. What she wanted more than anything was to get Draco back, but the Draco she received was different than the one she had had before. He definitely wasn't acting like himself and that bothered her. He wasn't the man she fell in love with anymore and that was her fault. But could she handle not having him at all? On the other hand, if Blaise had not been sincere in his earlier statement and he proceeded to take action, what would she do? Desperation clouded her judgment to the point where she had overlooked one simple fact – the spell she had cast over Draco was illegal.

_I had been so intent on keeping Draco in my life_, Astoria thought, _that I didn't realize that if I got caught and thrown in Azkaban, I wouldn't have him anyway._

Anxiety pooled in her stomach and her head began to spin. _I could end up in Azkaban._ She leaned over the counter, gripping the cold counter top until her knuckles turned white. Her heart was pounding and tears were burning in her eyes. She was terrified by the idea. _How had it not occurred to me last night!? How could I overlook it!? How could I cast such a terrible spell!?_

"Ri? You coming to bed?" Draco voiced floated through the air behind her and wrapped around her, blanketing her with comfort. _Oh yeah, that's how._

"I'll be right there, baby." The tea was left to cool, abandoned, on the counter. The silence drifted over the house in a powerful chill, as if dementors had already come for her. Fear made her lightheaded as she tiptoed down toward the bedroom. The subtle ticking of the hands on the clock seemed to echo in her mind. It wasn't until she reached the bedroom and saw Draco on the bed that none of it seemed to matter. Not Azkaban. Not the dementors. All that mattered was Draco – the reason she had taken such a severe risk in the first place. If she truly was going to end up in Azkaban, she wasn't going to waste a single moment that she had left with him.

Astoria climbed onto the bed and welcomed Draco's arms around her immediately. Resisting the tears that threatened to expose her true instability, she began placing soft kissed over Draco's face, neck, and chest. She sat up and clutched his face within her shaking hands. He looked shocked, but smiled expectantly at her.

"Draco, I want you to listen to me very carefully," she said, staring deeply into his eyes as if doing so would help him to focus. She wasn't sure if the spell was clouding his ability to comprehend what was truly going on around him. "No matter what ends up happening, you need to remember that I love you more than anything else in the world and that nothing else matters."

"I love you, too, Ri," he replied quietly.

As much as those words coming from those lips meant everything to her, Astoria couldn't help but feel sickened by them. It was probably the last time she would hear him say those words and it wasn't even really him talking. She spent her last moments with him talking to a spell.


	3. Part 3 of 3: The Cure

**Part 3 of 3: The Cure**

Blaise Zabini walked determinedly through the Ministry of Magic to the Auror Offices. Clutched in his hand was a copy of the book he had found in Draco's and Astoria's flat. He spent all of yesterday studying up on the spell he had witnessed that morning. A debate ensued the entire night, robbing him of his sleep. He knew that he had to tell someone so that they could cure Draco, but at the same time he wasn't sure if Draco would be upset to find his fiancée, or ex fiancée, thrown in prison. Finally, as the sun was coming up that morning, he decision was firmly made. He pounded his fist against the large office door and almost immediately was greeted by the face he had been looking for.

"Potter," Blaise greeted him thickly, holding up the book. "We need to talk."

"Um, come in," Harry Potter offered, holding the door open. Blaise stepped into Harry's office, looking around vaguely. Harry had many photographs set up on all of the shelves and upon his desk. There were a few awards and trophies in a glass case against the back wall. Harry walked around his desk to sit in his large desk chair. He gestured to one of the smaller chairs placed facing the front of the desk, "Have a seat."

Blaise collapsed into the wooden chair, flipping the book from one hand to the other. The two men stared at each other for a long moment. They had never had much of any interaction before. They had only ever noticed each other during the altercations between Harry and Draco. This idea brought Blaise's mind back to his purpose. He wasn't there to reminisce about old times; he was there to help Draco. He flipped the book open to the page that displayed the spell and dropped the book onto Harry's desk with a loud _thud_. Harry leans forward to peer at the page.

"Why are you showing me this?" Harry inquires, his piercing green eyes scanning over the page.

"This spell is illegal, isn't it?" Blaise mutters impatiently.

"Of course, it is. However, there's nothing I can do about it being printed in a book. It's a book about dark magic."

"And what would you do if this spell was used on someone? Would there be a way to prove that this was the exact spell used?"

Harry's brow arched over his glasses as he looked up from the page. "I would be able to do a lot more if you explained the situation."

Blaise sighed and leaned forward. "How much detail do you need? I am convinced that Astoria Greengrass has cast this spell over Draco."

Harry's eyebrows disappeared underneath his messy, black hair. He inhaled deeply, folding his hands atop his desk. "Draco Malfoy? Why do you think she would do such a thing?"

Blaise bit his lip, debating how much he should say, but decided that there was no point in being vague. "He caught her cheating on him. He sent me an owl asking me to come over the next morning to pick up his stuff, but when I showed up they were a perfectly happy couple. Draco had no memory of ever asking me to come over. I found this book, opened to this page, on the desk with Astoria's wand. It may not be legitimate proof, but I'm not an idiot."

"Of course there are ways to prove your theory. However, in order to do that I would need to actually see Draco in person. If we can prove that spell is effecting him, we should be able to confiscate Astoria's wand to see if she used it to cast the spell."

"What will happen to her, if you can prove a case against her?"

"She'll have a trial and most likely be sent to Azkaban."

"Will Draco have to say anything at the trial?"

"They won't force him to testify in order for conviction, considering he won't be able to remember anything that happened. This is dark magic – it's not easy to reverse. He won't remember anything and he'll probably be in St. Mungo's so that they can set his mind back to normal."

The two sat there in silence for a moment, each caught in their own thoughts over the situation. As Harry tried to figure out what the best plan of action would be, Blaise continued to worry about his friend. There was no turning back now.

"So, what is the next step?" Blaise asked with a sense of determination.

"You need to take me to Draco," Harry states firmly, his lips forming a thin line. Standing up from his desk, he gestures for Blaise to lead them out of his office. The two make their way to Draco's and Astoria's flat. Blaise used the spare key that Draco had given him when they first moved there to open the door and slip inside. They were extremely careful not to make any sound as they crept down the hall toward the bedroom. Harry drew his wand from his robes as Blaise pushed the bedroom door open. The following movements were a blur.

Astoria noticed the two men in the doorway immediately, pulling her out of the haze she had been in. She didn't hesitated as she shoved Draco away from her, reached for her wand, and shot the first spell that came to mind in the vague direction of the doorway. Harry collapsed to the floor, but Blaise was quicker to react.

"Incarcerous!" Blaise bellowed, pointing his wand at Astoria. Thick robes appeared and wrapped tightly around her until she was powerless to resist.

"Draco, untie me!" Astoria demanded, struggling against the restraints.

Draco, for the very first time since she had cast the spell over him, did not obey her. Instead, he tumbles out of the bed, holding the sheet around himself, and crawls across the bedroom floor to where Harry fell. The blond helped the other boy sit up, checking him for any form of injury.

"Draco!" Astoria hissed. "Come over here, now! Get away from him!"

Once again, Draco ignored her. She couldn't figure out why it wasn't working any longer. She stopped struggling, coming to the conclusion that what she thought she was fighting for was no longer there. Draco, despite still being under her spell, wasn't interested in her. He continued to aid Harry, who shook off the shock of being hit with her Stunning spell and rose to his feet. Harry muttered something to Blaise, who nodded and reached a hand out toward Draco.

"Draco, come with me," Blaise said softly. Draco, however, pulled away.

"W-what?" Draco stammered. "No. I won't leave Astoria."

Astoria smiled, feeling a slight ray of hope, until…

"Draco," Harry's voice was calm and soothing and Draco responded immediately, "listen to me. I want you to go with Blaise. He's going to take you to the hospital and they're going to help you."

"Are you going to come with us?" Draco asked hopefully.

"I'll meet you there later. I promise. Go on, now."

Draco looked back over his shoulder at Astoria, seeming hesitant to leave her, but glanced back at Harry. Harry nodded to him encouragingly. Draco took Blaise's hand and left with him. As they went down the hall, Draco continued to look back over his shoulder with longing and curiosity. Despite his desire to go back, he follow his friend to the hospital.

A polite Healer greeted the two men as they entered the hospital. With a brief description of Draco's affliction, the lady took his hand and guided him toward the lift like a small child. She even spoke to him in a kind tone suggesting that if she upset him, he would run away and go back to Astoria. What Draco didn't know, is that if he went back to his flat to be with Astoria – she wouldn't be there. She was probably halfway to Azkaban by now. The fact that she Stunned an Auror was enough to get her into major trouble, with or without her illegal use of dark magic. It's enough to have her sent to Azkaban until her trial for what she had done to Draco.

"Fourth Floor – Spell Damage," the disembodied voice echoed throughout the lift as they arrived on the proper floor and the doors opened with a loud _clang._ The Healer gathered some assistance and took Draco into one of the patient rooms. Blaise waited impatiently in the hall as three different Healers studied Draco. After almost an hour of pacing back and forth outside Draco's room, two of the Healers came out.

"What the hell is going on?" Blaise growled in frustration. "You've been in there with him for an eternity! Is he going to be alright or not?"

"Mr. –?"

"Zabini."

"Mr. Zabini," one of the Healers began serenely, "I assure you that your friend is going to be just fine. However, it is pretty powerful magic, reversing it was time consuming. It may have been an inconvenience having to wait, but taking our time to make sure that our job was done properly is well worth it, don't you think?"

"So, you can prove the spell that was used on him?"

"Yes, we have it written in our documentation and will be sure the Auror's Office gets a copy of it immediately. I'll have an owl send it there now."

"That won't be necessary," Harry Potter's voice echoed throughout the hallway. He took slow steps toward them, holding his hand out for the form in the Healer's hand. As he approached, she relinquished the paper to him. He scanned over the notes that had been taken on it, confirming the necessary information that was needed for Astoria's conviction.

"Mr. Potter!" the Healer exclaimed in surprise. "You didn't have to come for this in person. I assure you we could have seen that it was delivered."

"I didn't come for the paperwork, ma'am, I'm here to see Mr. Malfoy. Has the spell been properly reversed?" Harry's tone was serious and very professional.

"Yes, sir, he is back to normal. Fortunately there hasn't been any damage."

"Is it alright if I speak to him?"

"Of course, but I'm not sure how much help he'll be. He doesn't remember anything."

"Actually, I have a question –" Blaise cut in before Harry had a chance to disappear into Draco's room. Both Harry and the Healer looked at him expectantly. "Obviously one of the effects of this spell was that Draco would do whatever the spell-caster told him to do. However, when Potter here showed up, Draco ignored all over her commands and did what Potter told him to do instead. Is there any reason why it would work that way?"

Harry raised his eyebrows, surprised by his own interest in the answer.

"The spell may have been extremely powerful magic," the Healer explained, "but it is no Imperius Curse. It isn't so powerful as to completely overwhelm the human mind. For example, Mr. Zabini, you and Draco are very close friends. Now, if she had told him to ignore you or be angry with you, he would have done so. However, if she had told him to harm you in any way, he would have been able to resist that. My best guess is that Draco cares enough about Mr. Potter to see past the haze of magic that had clouded his judgment previously. That's just my best guess though, I must say we don't see this particular spell very often. You two can go in and see him if you like. I'm going to fill out some more paperwork and then we can send him home."

Harry and Blaise exchanged expressionless glances before stepping into Draco's room. Draco was sitting up in the bed, chatting mindlessly with the Healer who had stayed with him. When the remaining Healer noticed Harry, she gave him a polite nod and scurried out of the room. Draco's reaction to Harry was a bit less delicate. His eyes widened drastically, his mouth slightly open.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Draco blurted out.

Harry moved to sit in the chair next to the bed. "I trust the Healers filled you in on what happened to you."

"They told me what spell was used on me, that was it."

"Well, _that spell_ is illegal, so it's my job to treat this incident like any other case."

"It was Astoria, wasn't it? What have you done with her?"

"Unfortunately she is currently in Azkaban awaiting trial for the use of illegal dark magic. I'd say the chances of her getting away with this are very slim. Your fiancée will be sent to Azkaban for most likely ten years or so at the least."

"Ex-fiancée," Draco mumbled dryly. He finally decided to look Harry in the eye. "Let me guess – you came to save me again, didn't you?"

"Blaise was the one who was concerned about you and decided to come to me. I was just doing my job." Harry smiled weakly at his former rival. "Anyway, I'll have an owl sent to you about Astoria's trial date. It's your decision whether or not you want to show up. I should get back to work and leave you two to talk. I'm glad that you're going to be okay, Draco."

Draco simply nodded, too proud to put his feelings of gratitude toward Harry Potter of all people into words. Harry stood up, shook Blaise's hand, and walked out of the room. Blaise replaced him in the chair, immediately picking up the conversation with his friend.

Harry stood in the doorway for a moment, looking in at the two friends as they went on talking happily as if nothing had even happened. He couldn't help but smile at them. Draco can't remember what happened. He just suddenly comes to his senses in a hospital bed. His fiancée not only betrayed him, but will now be locked away in prison. And yet he looks perfectly content knowing that he still has his best friend to look out for him. It can be so easy to let your relationship take over your life – especially when that relationship falls apart. You never really know what's going to happen one day or the next. But it doesn't really matter as long as you have really great friends looking after you.

The End.


End file.
